1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel detergent composition, and, more particularly, to a detergent composition exhibiting extremely reduced irritation to the skin and the hair, possessing outstanding detergency and foaming and foam-breaking capability, and imparting an excellent feeling upon use.
2. Description of the Background Art
Anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic surface active agents have conventionally been used for detergent compositions for washing the skin, the hair, and the like.
Although anionic surface active agents possess good detergency and foaming capability, their irritation to the skin and the hair is sometimes problem. Nonionic surface active agents are inferior to other surface active agents in their foaming capability and in the quality of the foam. For example, polyoxyethylenealkyl ether has a low foaming capability. Alkylpolyglycosides do not produce foam swiftly and the foam produced is rough in quality. Amphoteric surface active agents have good foaming capability, but the foam is rough in quality, exhibiting only insufficient detergency toward sebum and fats. They impart an inadequate feeling after washing. Detergent compositions containing cationic surface active agents have drawbacks in their poor foaming capability, bad quality of the foam, and unpleasant feelings which they impart after rinsing. Furthermore, they sometimes impart irritation to the skin depending upon the manner and the conditions under which they are used.
In view of this situation, the present inventors have undertaken extensive studies in order to develop a detergent composition which is free from the drawbacks which each type of surface active agent have. As a result, the present inventors have found that a detergent composition exhibiting extremely reduced irritation to the skin and the hair, possessing excellent detergency and foaming and foam-breaking capability, and imparting an excellent feeling upon use could be produced by using these surface active agents together with a specific type of polyethylene imine polymeric compound, and further that its detergency and foaming capability could be promoted even more, and the composition provided a minimal degree of irritation and a comfortable massage feeling to the skin and the hair, if a water-soluble polymer is used together with the polyethylene imine polymeric compound. Such findings have led to the completion of the present invention.